My Ice Princess
by sd freek
Summary: What happens between Zeke and Sharpay after the film and how Sharpay got her nickname. Zekepay oneshot.


**Disclaimer: I don't own HSM**

**Author's note: This is my first HSM fic and sorry if Sharpay seems a little OOC. This takes place right after the movie…well during the end of the movie actually. Anyway, enjoy.**

Zeke Baylor stood alone in the school gym. Everyone else had left a long time ago to prepare for the celebrations that usually followed any Wildcat victory. The lanky teenager could still faintly hear the cheers of his teammates and their doting 'fans'. Zeke knew he should probably be with them but he couldn't care less and all because the girl he loved hated his guts. Sharpay Evans. Zeke had liked Sharpay for a long time, a really long time but he had never admitted it because Sharpay was a 'drama geek' and if you were on the basketball team any girl who wasn't a cheerleader was off limits. The cheerleaders were nice and all but they were nothing compared to Sharpay. Sharpay was the essence of perfection; she was multi-talented and born to be a star. It seemed like there was nothing she couldn't do…except maybe be nice but Zeke knew that you had to be tough in show business. Pushovers didn't get anywhere in the industry.

Looking back Zeke felt stupid, he had been afraid that his friends would shun him for liking such a girl. So maybe Chad would probably have had a heart attack and try and knock some sense into him but that was just the way Chad was. It took a while for Chad to adjust to things. But everyone else would be supportive, they were his friends; it was their duty to support him. But he had succumbed to peer pressure and sat in the background, holding a basketball because as a jock it was supposedly the only thing he could do.

Then Troy started singing. Suddenly all the barriers had been broken down and people started doing whatever they wanted to and when confronted by their friends had said 'Screw you!' Zeke confessed he loved to bake and although Chad had gone ballistic Troy was genuinely interested and not the least bit surprised at his secret hobby. That was when Zeke realised, for the first time in his life that there was absolutely nothing wrong with not 'sticking to the status quo'.

So he took a chance and did something he had been too scared to do; he asked Sharpay out. Unfortunately Sharpay was preoccupied with having to fight for the lead role in the musical and had turned him down. It had knocked Zeke's confidence a bit and he felt stupid, Chad-like, for thinking that she would jump at the chance to date the baking basketball player.

He had tried to talk to her again, complimenting her on her talent but she had brushed him off. Zeke could still see the disgusted look on her face when he had presented her with cookies. Zeke had put his heart and soul into the biscuits; he had made at least four batches until he was certain that they were up to the impossibly high standards of the school's drama queen. But Sharpay had dismissed them without a second thought. Zeke grinned slightly as he pictured the way she had wrinkled her nose, he loved it when she did that.

The doors to the gym flew open and Zeke heard the unmistakable sound of high heels hitting the wooden floor.

"Zeke!" Zeke's head snapped up to face the doorway when he heard his name. The voice was too high to belong to any of his friends, he recognised it instantly and his heart skipped a beat. _Sharpay._

"These cookies are genius, the best things I've ever tasted. Will you make some more for me Zeke?" Sharpay shouted, then she started to charge towards him. At first Zeke was scared, it all seemed too good to be true. He slowly began to back away, gradually picking up speed. He turned around to break out into a full run when he felt delicate arms wrap around him. Zeke thought he was going to melt.

"I might even make you a crème brulee," he said happily.

"Ooh!" Sharpay squealed in delight and hugged him tighter. Zeke's grin grew and before he knew it his legs had turned to jelly and he was lying in a heap on the floor. Sharpay was at his side immediately.

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly. Zeke nodded, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Thank god…I love Crème Brulee," Sharpay said flirtatiously. Zeke stared at her almost as if he were in a trance - she was beautiful.

"And I love you," he murmured absent-mindedly. Sharpay blushed and Zeke mentally slapped himself for voicing his opinions.

"You do?" she asked after an awkward pause. Zeke tried not to show his disappointment that she hadn't said anything back.

"Yeah…yeah I do."

"Why?" Zeke was shocked by Sharpay's reply. He looked up at her and was stunned by the look on her face. He had never seen Sharpay look so…small. She had always been larger than life, you could hear and see her from a mile away but here she was in front of him, the mouthy exterior gone. Somehow she was talking quietly, questioning why anyone would genuinely like her and meaning it.

"Well what's not to like? You're beautiful, the most talented person I've ever met and one of the strongest." Sharpay blushed and smiled shyly at him. Her smile faded as if a sudden thought crossed her mind.

"What about 'Ice Princess'? Didn't you come up with that whole thing?" Sharpay asked. Zeke cringed.

"Um…not exactly," he muttered.

**FLASHBACK**

It was lunchtime at East High and most of the students were enjoying lunch. Heads turned as Sharpay Evans strutted through the cafeteria, her twin brother scuttling behind her. The drama queen had made yet another change of clothes that day and no one was quite sure why. As she passed the Basketball team they all began to bark like dogs. Sharpay stopped walking and turned to glare at them.

"Oh please," she said dismissively.

"C'mere girl, c'mon," Chad said, patting his thigh as he spoke as if he were talking to a dog. The boys laughed and Sharpay gasped mocking.

"Wow, never heard that before," she retorted. "Oh and Chad, I'd shut up if I were you because anyone could pass for a poodle with hair like that."

"Oooooh!" The jocks chorused mockingly.

"Looks like the dog bites back," Chad said with a mocking grin. Sharpay sent the table one last glare before strutting up the stairs to her own table.

"Man, she is such a diva," Troy chuckled. "I mean, why would anyone change so many times in one day."

"I bet she never wears the same outfit twice," Jason agreed. Zeke watched her climb the stairs, mesmerised.

"She's more like a princess," he thought aloud. The table fell silent and everyone looked at Zeke.

"What?" Troy asked.

"Did you just say what I think you did?" Jason asked,

"Well…i…er," Zeke stammered. He was never good at thinking on his feet.

"I like it," Chad announced.

"Huh?" Zeke asked, thoroughly confused.

"It's got a ring to it," Chad explained.

"What does?" Troy asked; he was just as confused as Zeke.

"Ice Princess," Chad answered.

"Yeah, it sounds pretty good…nice one Zeke!" Jason said, patting his friend on the back. Zeke laughed nervously and didn't miss the curious glance that Troy gave him.

**END FLASHBACK**

"So technically it was Chad who came up with the whole ice thing," Sharpay summarised. Zeke nodded.

"You know, I cried when Chad told me you came up with that name," Sharpay admitted.

"Cried?" Zeke echoed in surprise, "b-b-because of me?" Sharpay nodded.

"Well, whenever I called you that I wasn't really thinking about it in a mean way," Zeke mumbled. At Sharpay's confused and doubtful look he added, "It always made me think of the beautiful ice sculpture Johnny Depp makes of Winona Ryder in Edward Scissorhands." Sharpay looked slightly confused but touched. She smiled down at Zeke.

"Well in that case I love you two."

Zeke wanted to jump up and down and cartwheel around the room. The only thing that stopped him was the even better feeling that came as Sharpay's lips touched his.


End file.
